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by Dave Scrimgeour & Kevin McCluskey    Writer- Frank Miller Artist- David Mazzucchelli Colours- Christie Scheele Letters- Joe Rosen Editor- Ralph Macchio Editor In Chief- Jim Shooter Publisher- Marvel Comics synopsisMatt dies and is literally "Born Again," Karen continues her arduous journey back to him via Foggy, Ben Urich slides into a fear induced depression whilst denying Matt's name on numerous occasions, before rising, from the ashes and Wilson Fisk begins to unravel under the stress of his inability to finish "the man without fear" off. Dave So, we're on to part 4 now, "Born Again." What do you think of the cover? Kev I think this cover is excellent. Mazzucchelli’s body language for Ben Urich is outstanding here. It has a fantastic, muted colour palette by Scheele too and it's all in the shadow of the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen. Cracking stuff. Dave I love the 80's desk items. It's a far cry from today, what with its minimum of technology used and just plain old fashioned paper and pens. Kev That's a good point, yeh. Even the power and influence of a paper like the Bugle is indicative of a time gone by. 5 million readers for a newspaper? Not in 2019 there isn't. Dave Certainly not in paper sales nowadays. Newspapers are mostly read online. Kev Yep. Like everything else. Like us. We would've been a fanzine back in the day. Dave Maybe, yeah. I like the first page, it's excellently told with Matt dying. Kev Matt is literally ‘Born Again’ here. He flatlines. He actually dies. “Then Santa Claus stabbed me with a knife.” That line really tickles me. Dave Haha! It's certainly a powerful way to start the issue off, though. Then we get the next full page panel of Matt lying on another bed. This has been a recurring image throughout this series, the full page spread and Matt sleeping somewhere. Kev It's an iconic splash page alright. They've made a bit of a theme of having Matt in a bed, haven't they? Dave Yeah, definitely. There is certainly plenty of narrative again in this issue, as Frank Miller quickly jumps between sub-plots; Karen Page, and then the Kingpin's training session, just to emphasise how physically powerful The Kingpin is. Plus, the guys in Karate suits are very 80's looking.  It's UFC 1! Where a sumo wrestler takes on several armed karate fighters. No weight classes. No holds barred. Kev Ha, ha! You're right. It's very much of it's time, alright. “The name that means hope, Matt.” Karen’s treatment of Matt is pretty despicable in this. She just uses him at every turn. Lovely greens on the foliage by Scheele here though. Those are a cracking couple of panels. Dave They are great indeed. In two pages we, the reader, have now quickly jumped into the four main subplots of the story. That is some terrific storytelling. It keeps it sharp by not unnecessarily dragging it out. Kev Yeh, it's an excellent split of the page between Karen and Fisk on page 78. Plus, the use of “Matt” for Karen and “Murdock” for Fisk, illustrates the vastly different relationships they have with our hero. “Murdock is alive.” It’s like ‘Flash Gordon.’ “Gordon’s alive.” Dave Ben Urich is seriously damaged by this point, and not just on a emotional level. Kev The Kingpin has managed to break Ben Urich just as much as he has Matt Murdock. That's a nice change of font for Urich’s internal monologue caption boxes as well. It’s all about Matt Murdock’s name here. "What’s in a name?" “I don’t even think of his name.” Urich denying Matt, is like Peter denying Jesus. More of those religious undertones that we were discussing last time. Dave Yeah, this is the internal trauma of Ben Urich here. I like that half page panel, in front of Pennsylvania station, with Karen and Paulo highlighted in colour, whereas the rest of the people are in monochrome. It's a bit of a throwback to the movies of the 50's /60s, except this story is far from having any happy endings. Kev Yeh. It's like the bastard dark side of 'Brief Encounter' or something, but instead of being a romantic image, it's actually very disturbing. Dave Totally. There's a great colour variety throughout this issue, again. It's so diverse. It's setting a different mood for each characters internal emotional state. Kev Definitely. Max Scheele is an unsung hero on this story. Dave What's actually slightly disturbing is the Kingpin is walking around, wearing only a pair of underpants. Kev Hey, when you're that ripped and you have a body like that, you've got to flaunt it, right? He looks like a sumo wrestler. I like how we are reminded of "Battlin’" Jack Murdock’s words to his son at this point. “Never give up. Never.” Dave Yeah, and the page of Matt reflecting and the cuts to downtown Manhattan are superb; the noise, the smell, the gulls screeching, the cars honking and all that stuff is so descriptive and the artwork is fantastic. Some great panels there.  "Start spreading the news,...  ....I'm leaving today.  I want to be a part of it,....  .....New York, New York." Kev Yeh, man. That's such a clever use of Matt’s enhanced senses for him to pinpoint his own whereabouts, even from his sickbed. Is The Kingpin starting to get a bit rattled because he knows Matt is still out there? Is he getting a bit desperate, calling in people like Nuke? Dave I reckon so. He knows that Matt is dangerous and he probably is unconsciously scared, but trying to deny it to himself. Hence the workouts and so forth. Plus, the short temper as well. Kev Yeh. Keeping up the pretence of control, if nothing else. Jumping back a little for a second, the last two panels of Urich at the bottom of page 81 are a much more abstract style by Mazzucchelli, with much thicker and more angular lines. Plus, with “It’s so very important that we don’t even think of the name” Ben denies Matt for the second time. Dave Ben looks so frail in those panels. Especially in that one with the oversized chair he's hunched over in. Kev He really does, doesn't he? He looks like an old man.
Dave He certainly does. Matt tries not to waste any time getting on his feet, but to no avail. Kev He's his fathers son, alright. Never willing to stay down on the mat. Never giving up. Always "Battlin'." Dave The page of Karen on the phone to Foggy shows a stark contrast in how the two of them live; Foggy in comfort and luxury and Karen living with a down and out. Kev They're worlds apart, aren't they? Karen is still paying Paulo for the ride. Not in cash, of course, but through other means. Her new situation with Paulo is depressing, alright. She just seems to lurch from one nightmare to another. Dave You really can't have any sympathy for her at this stage. Kev It's so difficult to, isn't it? “The name that means hope. Matt.” Karen’s using of Matt is pretty despicable. She just seems selfish. Dave The next page of Jonah and Ben in the Bugle office is so noirish, it's brillaint artwork. I'm pretty sure Ridley Scott was directing this scene. It's got a 'Blade Runner' look to it. Kev Ha, ha, yep. Mazzuccelli and Scheele’s work on this scene between Urich and Jonah is outstanding. The use of the blood-red night skies and the shadows of the blinds is superb. Man, could you imagine a 'Born Again' movie directed by an young Ridley Scott!?!? Now, there's a prospect. Nice to see Robbie get a little bit of a cameo appearance in at the Bugle.  "Have you RED the latest edition of The Daily Bugle, Jonah?" "Clear out your desk, Urich. You're sacked!" Dave Yeah, it's good to see Robbie as well. The Kingpin is everywhere. That panel of the shady looking cleaner shows how far his reach can stretch. Kev It's actually terrifying. The sense of oppressive fear that just permeates the whole of New York under the Kingpin's hand is palpable. This is excellent use of the manic nature of the Bugle’s bullpen, to heighten the tension as the nurse strangles Manolis, whilst he’s dying on the phone to Urich, just so Ben gets the privilege of hearing his death rattle. Properly puts me in mind of ‘All the President’s Men’ or something like that. Dave Yeah, plus we see the depth of how far down the slippery slope Karen has fallen with this psycho Paulo. I love the mania going on in the Bugle, but with Ben's stillness as a total contrast. I agree, that is a great scene, when he is forced to listen to the detective getting killed. That is great writing by Miller, if not touching on the disturbed, I'd say. The use of colour as he turns a dark shade of blood red highlights how terrified he is. Kev Definitely. It's disturbing, alright. It also contrasts perfectly with the cold blues of the hospital room as the nurse is strangling Monolis to death. It's unsettling and it's visceral, and again, Mazzucchelli and Scheele render Urich’s face in a far more abstract fashion to show the abject terror he is experiencing.  "Here's the story, about a little guy that lives in a blue world. & all day & all night & everything he sees is just blue  Like him, inside & outside. Blue his house with a blue little window & a blue Corvette & everything is blue for him.  .....Blue are the feelings that live inside me." Dave The cutting back and forth is great as well, it really builds-up the tension. In his heyday, Frank Miller was an awesome writer. Kev He certainly was. He's still good, but he's not hitting these heights these days, I don't think. His 'Superman: Year One' with John Romita Jr. was enjoyable and his recent 'Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child' with Rafael Grampa was worth a read as well though. Yep, once again, we get this cutting between scenes of Urich, Matt, and Karen and Foggy to quicken the pace and ramp-up the tension. We’ve seen this technique employed at approximately the same point in the previous issues too. Dave It's cleverly used. It shows the different relationships Matt has to these characters. The Kingpin standing, all dressed in a tux is a nice little panel. Very suave. Kev Better than just the undies, right? Dave Haha, just a bit. That would be disturbing if he attended that event in his undies. Kev A tad inappropriate, yes. I love the way Miller writes Fisk here though, “A general in my pocket…...that is a branch to be nurtured.” Again, we're being shown how 'The Kingpin Of Crime' plays the long game. It's interesting that Maggie gives Matt her gold cross. She must be worried for his life. It's like she's putting his life in the hands of God. My mum used to do the same for me on exam days when I was at school and university. She must’ve been worried for my life as well. Perhaps not needlessly either. I also like how she has faith in Matt will to break his fever. “It will break. It will.” Dave Yeah, Matt is definitely near breaking point, so to speak. This entire issue is essentially quick jumps between each sub-plot. It carries it along at a pace, as there is no shortage of narrative. It's very wordy this issue. Kev That's true. I wonder if the decision to cut so quickly between scenes was made to maintain a certain pace and to combat the amount of dialogue potentially slowing it down. There are some excellent panels on page 91. The top one of Fisk sipping the drink, the traumatised Urich and the bottom one of Foggy and Karen in the bar. The figures in the foreground of that one, in particular, are fantastic.  "This is a bit like 'Brief Encounter,' isn't it?....That's my favourite film." Dave I reckon they were trying to move the story onwards quickly, rather than drag it out to out issues, but it works. Kev For sure. It's a great read. In fact, it reads like a good old-fashioned thriller. Dave Yeah. Did you notice that when Foggy and Karen are together, he gets angry at that guy for hitting her, she gets scared and the two of them end-up doing 'Brief Encounter 2' on their parting shot?  ".....and is mine.....My favourite bit is when the big space ship comes down and all the little Martians come out." Kev Jeez. That hadn't even occurred to me that this panel was essentially a mirror of the earlier one with Karen and Paulo. Duh! I love the use of negative space on the top panel of page 93 to depict the snow. It's superb.  "Later on, we'll conspire, as we dream by the fire. To face unafraid, the plans that we've made." Dave It is. And the panel of Matt's mum praying for him next to his bed in a triangular shape is very striking. Then Ben finally admits the name he was trying so hard not to think about. Is this a turning point for him? Kev Yeh, it's a nice cut between Maggie on the direct line to God and the Nurse on the direct line to Urich, who takes the cast off his hand and finally no longer denies Matt Murdock’s name. Kingpin may have made a mistake here. Matt's "family" are starting to rally. Kingpin hasn't killed them. He hasn't defeated them. Dave This is a nice little cameo from Melvin here also. All the main players are involved. I can see where season 3 of 'Daredevil' took its influence from for the duplication of his costume.  Eh? In English, please. Kev Definitely. Miller's setting this all up for future parts of the story. The Kingpin's contingency plan. Dave Yeah and the final page Matt is looking a bit better. I like the narrative after he asks Maggie if she is his mum, which she laughs off, "...a heartbeat can tell you a lot. Her's just jumped. She's lying." Does she not know of his heightened senses? Kev It would appear not. But then again, she hasn't been part of his life since the accident that gave him those heightened senses, so I suppose she wouldn't know. (D) & (K) Next: 'Saved.' 
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